The dialog between what is “ constitutional ” and what is “ chemic ” is a broken conversation . Many of us come from a “ chemical BAD / organic skilful ” backcloth that does n’t actually explain how the world works .

The Problem with “Organic”

Gardeners often tot manure to their garden to provide N and other food , as it ’s an “ constitutional ” amendment . This is seen as higher-ranking to just add up , say , dilute ammonium hydroxide , which also bear nitrogen . Or urea plant food . Or MiracleGro , which has nitrogen along with a bunch of other nutrients .

If the manure author is from a non - medicated cow , on non - sprayed forage , not being feed imported hay or run with pesticides and weed killer in it , then that manure could be study a good source of food with the additional benefit of providing organic subject , enzyme and microorganism .

Yet if that manure is contaminate with heavy alloy , aminopyralids , Diamond State - wormers , etc . , then you ’re belike dependable off with bagged fertilizer or some lab - engineered N reference .

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DynaGro is a popular soluble fertiliser that contains all the component ( that we be intimate of ) which plants need to thrive . They address the organic vs. chemical argument on their FAQ Sir Frederick Handley Page :

“ In interpersonal chemistry , constitutive means a molecule that contain carbon . Accordingly , gasoline , motor oil , newspaper , etc . are “ organic . ” Plants do not take up any constituent molecules . They must be split down into their constituent ions , none of which are organic ! In soils , these organic molecules are break in down by the legal action of a wide compass of germ including bacteria and mycorrhizae . However , many , if not most , certified constitutive fertilizers hold in significant amounts of heavy metal including arsenic , confidential information , mercury , selenium , and others which can be dangerous to any creature consuming plants grown with those “ organic ” fertilizers . To forfend issues with backbreaking alloy , Dyna - Gro employ only highly refine , proficient level raw materials in the product of all of our plant victuals product . While this check mellow quality , nutritionally level-headed craw production , it prevent our nutrients from being consider “ constituent ” .

Organic certification is free-base upon the source of the raw materials , not upon the absence seizure of heavy metals or other contaminants . A check of the analysis of registered fertiliser will reveal that some “ certified constitutive ” plant food contain levels of arsenic , for exemplar , that would be illegal in drinking water ! The one sensitive part of the “ organic ” movement is minimizing or eliminate the utilisation of chemical pesticide . provide your plant with proper levels of Pro - TeKt , The Silicon Solution , can eliminate the pauperization for pesticide . Dyna - Gro does not encourage the use of any chemical substance pesticides . ”

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That is about how I feel as well . Aftergetting DESTROYED by a nice , organic amendment , my intellection on the subject started to change . Now , as I ’ve seen more and more people get arrive at …

… well , let ’s just say I trust refined “ chemicals ” more than I trust potentially contaminated “ constituent ” amendment .

And are these “organic” amendments even “organic?”

Not in the way we suppose of “ constituent . ” Organic make water us opine of stuff that is n’t contaminated with toxic poisons . beast grazing on good land . pasture fed by lightning and snowmelt .

This is n’t the direction thing are supposed to be , but we work with the hand with are cope .

You may say , “ but await – is n’t it just manure that is the problem ? ”

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I wish well .

The trouble is what is happen downriver to the supplying line , to product such as mushroom cloud compost – which has traditionally been a proficient garden amendment .

Shaun H. compose :

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“ So take a peek at the attached exposure of some of my pepper plant , with strange foliage growth and curling .   I wondered if it was perchance Grazon induct ?   I did n’t ever put manure or hay / pale yellow on my garden , but I did practice mushroom cloud compost , which appeared to me to have some manure in it !   So now I ’m wondering if mushroom compost is another no - no since it often has manure as a component ? ”

I have see reports of contaminated hay , mushroom compost , potting soil and purchased municipal compost .

But wait – there ’s more !

Rememberthe arsenic in volaille provender affair ?

“ turn out that when you prey arsenical drugs to livestock , the arsenic does n’t just as if by magic disappear . alternatively , trace total of arsenic fed to chicken are excreted in their manure — and when hundreds of yard of chickens are stir on a manufacturing plant farm year after year , the arsenic can accumulate fairly quickly , eventually contaminating soil , groundwater and surface waters . ”

Instead of clean , “ constituent ” material , we are getting toxic junk . It seems like there ’s junk in everything . Heck , evenseaweed is peck up toxic runoffin the sea and soak up it .

1 . Pesticide run - off into the sea has have arsenic andheavy metallic element contamination . hint and atomic number 80 has been foundby scientists who canvas maritime flora .

2 . plant food campaign - off into the oceans has caused crude oil - fuel , outsize seaweed .

3 . Oil - tumble dispersant contaminant from the gulf vegetable oil release hasspread .

4 . Radiation taint continues – seaweed sucks upradiation like a sponger . Fukushima nuclear reactor showed usthis .

5 . Fresh piddle seaweeds such as spirulina absorbcontamination which deposited from soil contamination run - offand radioactive dip out .

So forgive me if I step over to the “ chemic ” side of things now and again . The most severe matter I ’m putting in my garden right now is likely the cottonseed repast – and it ’s the most “ constitutive ” amendment !

My current thinking is to first mineralize the territory with various amendments , then grow plow crops and recycle them into grunge living and organic fabric . In a food forest organisation , chop and cliff is extremely effective for this . Yet in this grime , I would still give the system lots of good micronutrient at the onset , as well as align the pH. Then nature can take over from there .

The soil life is important . In the little terminal figure , we are shoot for extremely nutrient - dense food . As the plant get what they need and boom , we will build up constitutive topic levels and feed the microbiology as well .

I wroteCompost Everythingfor a reason . I hate the toxic mess the humans has become . The provision line of constituent amendment being get it on up inspired me to search out alternate path to make enough compost to feed the garden . I am still composting and will compost a mountain more as my gardens get .

One piece at a prison term , one foot in front of the other …

  • Image at top:“Fertilizer , NPK 15 - 15 - 15 in stack”byIITA Image Libraryis license underCC BY - NC 2.0

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